SSI or PADI Dive Master/Con Route?

[DrSteve]

Hi Guys!

After a very good week in Cozumel I have decided that I would like to extend my diving formal education a bit further and go towards the Dive Master/Dive Con certs. At this point all I need to complete is the Stress and Rescue course which I don't think will cause any problems as I covered all of this in the BSAC system.

But the question is which way to go? I began with BSAC and moved to the US and recertified with SSI. I did my AOW with PADI (one of my friends is an instructor). My LDS has said they will issue an SSI Master Diver card if I do the SSI stress and rescue course (my initial cert was SSI). Of course going with PADI is just as easy at this point.

What are the differences between the 2 routes? SSI has the Dive Master/Assistant instructor rolled into "DiveCon" and PADI has the Dive Master followed by Asst. Instructor. Ultimately I believe SSI instructors have to teach for a school (meaning a LDS in most cases) but PADI instructors appear to be able to teach on a freelance basis if they so desire.

Any thoughts?

 

[Scottri]

SSI requires that a pro be affiliated with a shop and PADI allows you to freelance. Besides that, SSI DiveCon's are assistant instructors as you mentioned and a PADI DM is not. Assistant Instructor is a seperate rating. Difference aside, I would look at opportunities available for a PADI DM and an SSI DiveCon. I went with PADI because the instructor was great and I am able to find DM work with more shops just because PADI is more common. I don't have a great love for PADI or SSI, I've taken classes with both and they are about equal as far as content goes. I would have become an SSI DiveCon if there were more SSI shops to choose from. It really boils down to finding an instructor that will provide you with a good education.


Scott

 

[DrSteve]

Thank you

LOL I don't have any love for PADI or SSI either. If I was in the UK I would be with BSAC. Trouble is I think that if I was a DiveCon now, BSAC would recognise me as a "Dive Leader" and not as an instructor of any kind!

I think what I need to do is determine if there is a PADI/SSI cross over available at the Dive Con/Ast Instructor level and go from there.

 

[String]

BSAC keeps dive grades and instructor qualifications totally separate so a Dive master/dive con would cross over as dive leader.

Any instructor qualification with the other agency would have to be crossed over separately.

(i think)

 

[DrSteve]

BSAC keeps dive grades and instructor qualifications totally separate so a Dive master/dive con would cross over as dive leader.

Any instructor qualification with the other agency would have to be crossed over separately.

(i think)

I think that's how they would do it. I was trying to point out (rather badly) that the standards were just a bit different

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Since I live fairly close to a quality SSI shop I went DiveCon and then followed up with instructor and I am now used a lot by the shop. With PADI you can be freelance. I am doing a crossover course to PADI as our shop is now going to be a dual SSI/PADI shop in the near future.

My insurance as an instructor is very cheap through the shop as compared to being solo.

I orginally wanted to be a dive master with PADI but when I learned that most dive boats prefer to have "instructor quality" dive leaders I decided to go through and become an instructor. Now I love it and am very glad I made the move.

Getting the ratings doesn't mean you get a job of course.

 

[DrSteve]

Getting the ratings doesn't mean you get a job of course.

LOL I'm not doing it for the money. I'm an instructor of a couple of sports and spent a short while teaching. I like it on the whole...but I'm doing it for the continuing education aspect. I learned the hard way after teaching sailing for 15 years without monetary compensation and enjoying almost every minute of it. My first "job" teaching for money was horrible! The students made me want to slap and ask why they were wasting their money if they didn't want to learn!

 

[Lead_carrier]

I went with SSI because I liked the way their program was laid out better than PADI's. The way I saw the PADI course taught was do a chapter, do a chapter review, then take the quiz on that chapter. If you were able to memorize enough to pass the test then you didn't have to worry about that subject again. With SSI, you do the complete course, then take a final exam on all of the material.

If you're doing it strictly for the education, look into the NAUI Master Diver course. It was one of the most challenging through courses I ever took. If nothing else just buy the course then do it yourself. That will give you an education.

 

[Scottri]

With PADI you do the chapter, the knowledge review and then on to the next chapter but you also have 8 seperate written tests to take as well as the internship of 2 full open water classes including pool session and open water. The PADI DM Course was not easy. I'm sure some instructors will rubber stamp DM's and most will not but I doubt the SSI program was much more difficult. The final 8 tests had some tough material on physics, physiology, equipment, dive tables and other subjects. The chapters and knowledge reviews were a very small part of the class.

 

[jagfish]

The students made me want to slap and ask why they were wasting their money if they didn't want to learn!

Whoa!
Sounds too familiar!

JAG
Assistant Professor
Kitasato University
Japan